Broken Glass
by rebellion101
Summary: Syfy Alice, of course. What would happen if the looking glass malfunctioned and the oysters were trapped in Wonderland including Alice?
1. Chapter 1

Okay it is official I am obsessed with the movie 'Alice' now. I loved it but wish it was longer.

Plot: At the end of the Syfy movie 'Alice' when she is about to leave a thought came to my mind. What would happen if the looking glass malfunctioned for whatever reason and they (the oysters/humans) were stuck there in Wonderland, including Alice?

This idea came to me when I was re-watching the movie and saw the part about Alice telling Hatter that she was afraid of being stuck in Wonderland. Hatter's reply was that he would make sure she was alright. Well let's see if he lives up to what he says.

Chapter 1: Looking Glass Break Down

"What? What is it?" Alice asked when the scientist suddenly pulled her back from the looking glass. She had half-expected him to push her through. That expectation ceased to exist when she saw the sparks that flew from the glass causing a few shrieks to fill the air.

Alice knew not needing anyone to tell her that it would be a while before she could return home. She would have to remain in Wonderland for the time being.

"There is something wrong with the looking glass. It's only a temporary setback, but we'll get it back up and running in no time," the scientist told her and all the others who were waiting to go through. Smiling a little too much for their recurrence, because the fact is nothing like this had ever happened prior at least none that they knew of. They might not be able to fix it or even when they could it might not be soon.

_Where would they all stay? There was so many of them. _That consumed everyone's thoughts and the shrieks turned into whispers. Everyone was wondering the same thing. Well almost everyone.

For Hatter it was a different story. He was happy that Alice was staying the concern over placements for the oysters far from his mind. He hadn't finished telling Alice goodbye when she was dragged off, away from him. Although the truth of the matter was that he would never really finish telling her goodbye because he never wanted her to leave. Not Wonderland but him. And there was the catch, the conflicting interests. He wanted her out to be back home and not trapped here. He also wanted her to be with him, near him. After all the hours they spent together it changed perspectives on everything.

There he stood alone with conflicting emotions. He hoped it didn't show on his face. It only did if you looked hard enough. There he remained standing even when Jack walked up to Alice. Relief swelled over him when Duchess soon followed Jack and clutched his arm tightly.

"Alice I'm terribly sorry for this…mishap," Jack apologized for Alice even though it wasn't his fault. He couldn't control the looking glass. He didn't even understand its very existence. Only the knights did too bad they were all but one wiped out by his mother.

She saw how the Duchess was clutching onto Jack's arm and internally Alice smiled. Jack deserved someone other than herself. She was glad that Duchess might just be that someone.

Tearing her gaze away from the linked arms she looked up at Jack with a small smile still set in place. "Jack, it's okay. You have as much control over this as I do," Alice replied not wanting him to feel guilty.

Jack nodded and took a look at all the people who were now homeless. Who had nowhere to go and he, the present king, had no idea where to place them—how to help them.

Duchess was thinking the same thing except she voiced her thoughts. "What are we going to do Jack? They have nowhere to go and we surely don't have enough room to place them all with us." The 'we' had slipped so easily off the tongue she didn't even realize it until after it was said. And, well, she liked the sound of it.

"I know Duchess. We'll have to make do with what we have. Place as many as we can and…" His voice trailed off in thought for a moment. "And I guess we'll have to ask the citizens of Wonderland to house the rest." It was the best idea he could come up with for the moment. Duchess nodded in agreement. "Alice, you are more than welcome to stay with us," he offered graciously to her.

Hatter listening in—well let's face it eaves-dropping—heard every word spoken. He couldn't blame Jack for offering her a place to stay. Something he couldn't provide. Something she deserved. Knowing that even though she didn't chose Jack she was better off with him for the moment. Jack could provide a roof over her head, a soft bed to lie on. What could he, the Hatter, provide? A roof maybe, but a comfortable bed certainly not, a mattress was the best he could do. Then there was the problem with food. She would be better off with Jack.

Slowly and graciously he backed away and went out the door. He knew when he was outplayed. It wasn't worth a fight over. It was what Alice deserved, bottom line, and he wasn't going to stand in the way.

Curiously Charlie watched on the unfolding situation, seeing his friend leave so suddenly. After what had happened he expected Hatter to go talk to Alice to see how she was doing now that she could no longer go home. His gaze switched over to Alice and he saw Jack and the Duchess talking to her. He mind started to wonder.

Alice was surprised by the offer even though she knew she shouldn't be. It was a nice, considerate offer exactly what Jack would do except there was something about it that wasn't satisfying to her. Almost like she wanted an offer, at the very least, from another person, but from whom else would that be. Charlie, the white knight, certainly not and the only other person she trusted here was Hatter.

The hatter he didn't have much of a home anymore since he had lost much of his business, she remembered that. As he told her before he was homeless. Although thinking back on it she hadn't had much of a home herself these past couple of days. Yet she, the hatter, and even Charlie all made do with what they had even when on the run.

"Thank you Jack that's very kind," she replied to him. Jack nodded expecting to hear all of that and was ready right then to provide Alice, now his good friend, a temporary living space. It was the least he could do after all the help she had already provided. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline," she continued.

This shocked Jack and the Duchess as well. She had been willing to help Alice with living conditions. After all if it hadn't been for her the queen would still be in power and she might not be here hanging on to Jack's arm with a chance, however small, to have something with him.

"You're declining?" Jack asked not sure he heard it right. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "But Alice you have no other place to stay."

Alice nodded knowing that fact already. "Yes and have for the past couple of days here, but I've made do. These other people, several others, don't have a place to stay either." She looked towards the young girls, the ones who had given her the strength to turn back from the mirror the first time. They deserved Jack's offer more than she. "And they have been trapped at the casino, standing day in and day out. At least I have had a chance to lie no matter how comfortable it was. They deserve that chance to and so indeed I'm declining. I will find another place to stay." **(A/N: That might not be true, I'm not sure. Thinking it over now they might have gotten some rest somehow that wasn't shown.)**

He looked at her not sure how to respond. What she said was true but still it got to him. He had thought he was doing a generous thing by offering Alice a place to stay while he still had a place for himself. Alice was offering the same thing for people she didn't know when she herself had no place of her own.

Nodding he said, "If you're certain." Alice nodded in response no doubt in her mind.

"But where will you stay?" the duchess asked her. Concerned over Alice's well-being even more after Alice had generously gave up this option for a place to stay. "With the white knight or the hatter, perhaps?"

_The hatter_, Jack thought,_ he would certainly let her stay with him. Only he doesn't even have a place of his own._ A flash of envy came across Jack's face.

"I'm not sure yet," Alice responded thinking it over. "Maybe the knight or the hatter, I'll figure it out." She searched for the hatter but to her surprise he wasn't in the crowd anymore. He had…left?

Jack recaptured Alice's attention stating, "You can always come to us if you can't find another place, Alice. We'll take you in."

Duchess smiled at Jack's word choice and added, "Yes Alice, we would take you back in a heartbeat."

"Thank you both. I'll keep that in mind," she said backing away from the two of them.

Seeing Charlie standing in the corner rambling on over how the knights could solve this problem by now she walked over to him. "Have you seen where Hatter went off to?" she asked him when she reached him.

Charlie nodded standing up straighter. "Why indeed I have New Legendary Alice. He left, walked right out the doors." He pointed straight to the doors. "Seemed almost a distraught young lad, to me."

Alice nodded and thanked Charlie. She had to find her friend and so she fled out onto the very narrowed streets looking for him.

Jack watched Alice running out of the building. Knowing exactly where she was running to or, well, more like to whom.

Duchess turned to him and softly said, "Jack?" He turned to her. She was about to stay something crucial to him, but lost the nerve. Instead she said, "She'll find a place. I'm sure the hatter or knight will take her in."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. It's what they've been doing this whole time. The thing is neither of them have a true place of their own," he said and Duchess nodded solemnly. "Something we both agree on that she deserves after everything that has happened." He smiled at Duchess and placed his hand over hers sending a distinct signal. She smiled back, happier than she ever thought possible.

Even when one of the suits, the eight of clubs to be exact, walked over to them to discuss what would be in order for the new found residents of the Wonderland they both remained to have smiles on their face. Duchess remained close to his side still clutching onto his arm.

--

Reviews are much appreciated otherwise I might not continue on with the story.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow…all I can say is I did not expect sooo many reviews at all. I mean really the first day it was shocking. So hopefully this next chapter won't be a disappointment.**

She searched the grounds for Hatter still not finding him and wondered if she should head back. Looking back she realized it was idiotic for her to refuse a place to stay when she had none. There was a chance Hatter would not take her, would no longer want her around. A thought she did not want to dwell on.

The winds began to arise and she wrapped her arms around herself forgetting before how cold it was here at the time. She had always worn the purple jacket, Hatter's jacket. It wasn't much but it had kept her warm and she missed its shelter.

She smiled at the thought and found herself thinking it was silly that Hatter would refuse her. He was always so generous she remembered that when she first met him—when she received the jacket.

Her mood turned sour with a frown upon her face when she replayed the event of their supposed goodbyes. 'Hell no' he had said when she asked had if he wanted her to stay in Wonderland. His expression hadn't been repulsion and he wasn't exactly shoving her into the looking glass. Still the words of that memory hung to her like a bad dream when she finally reached Hatter's place of business.

Watching the door handle she looked back behind her still not sure if she should enter. Everything was still and silent no longer filled with people throwing their hands up in the air and shouting. They were gone along with the atmosphere of a stock-market.

There was a rustling from behind the door signaling that Hatter was there or that somebody was.

'_What will I do, if I get stuck here? Then I'll make sure you're okay.'_

The words, the scene came to her and she knew that Hatter would help her. He had meant what he had said she knew by the look of his eyes and she was sure he still meant it now.

She turned the knob and opened the door and saw Hatter keeping himself busy by moving things around. Although, somehow, it seemed pointless to her.

He scooted the chair back an inch and then left two more inches. There was no point to it. This was the only thing he could do to keep himself busy as all the bottles were tucked away in several boxes useless now. So at the moment he had to pointless actions to keep himself busy from worrying about what would come next. About what would happen to Alice and the fact that she would be with Jack now no longer traveling with him.

The wind hit the back of his neck, which was odd. He hadn't left the door open it was illogical that the wind would be coming in. Although this was Wonderland, home of the strange like him. He turned and saw Alice standing there in the doorway, shivering.

His heart leapt he couldn't help it. More emotions then he could count—more emotions than he thought he could ever feel at once—came to him almost overwhelmed him. It was better than what was stored in the bottles that were carefully placed in the boxes. This was real.

"Alice," he said thinking for a second that he was imagining this. "Alice what are you doing here?" Before she even had a chance to answer he grabbed the purple coat he had left on one of the pure white couches. "Wait," he said walking over to her. He graciously handed it back over to her. "You must be freezing without it."

She smiled taking the clothing from his hands and putting it on just like before in this very same office. Only this time she was a lot more willing. She stepped inside and Hatter closed the door behind her.

"Now then tell me what you're doing here? After Jack has offered you a place you should be with him and the duchess heading there now."

Walking into the middle room she stopped to face him. Thinking a moment on what to say she settled with the simple one sentence truth. "I declined the offer."

"Declined?" Hatter asked eyes widened. "You declined an offer for a place to sleep, to eat, to live. What would make you do such a silly thing like that!?" To say he was frustrated would be saying the least. He was more than that you could tell by just the look on his face. However there was another look that passed over his face, a small one that showed he was also happy. She had declined Jack and instead came to him, even though it was selfish and inconsiderate he was happy.

Alice nodded. She had half-expected this reaction, because it was indeed silly for her to refuse such a pleasing offer right now. Only she wasn't going to change her mind not yet anyway.

"They don't have much room there and other people deserve a place just as much—if not more—than I do. However, they have nowhere else to turn to. They know no one else unlike I do," she stated. She took a deep breath before continuing. "You said once that you would make sure I was alright if, for whatever reason, I got stuck here. I thought, I hoped, you would keep to that."

She watched his expression wanting to know exactly how he felt about this. He shook his head smiling at her. _That was a good sign, wasn't it_, she thought.

"Alice, Alice, you are a fool not to accept Jack's generous offer," he told her walking around her. "But of course I will keep to my word as always. Although I do not have much to offer you here, with me, at the moment." _Unlike Jack_.

Smiling she replied, "That's fine Hatter. It's perfectly fine." Without realizing it she wrapped the jacket tighter around herself. "I am not expecting much. This," she motioned to the jacket, "is good enough as it is even if I have nowhere to sleep."

The hatter couldn't help but grin at this before his thoughts shifted to sleep. She would need to sleep on something. "Indeed we will have to find you a blanket or pillows for you to sleep on." He walked to the door picking off his hat from the bookshelf that he had left there. Opening the door he beckoned for her to follow, "Come. Let me show you around now that it is safe."

Leaving the building they linked arms without thinking much about it and strolled down the streets. Alice was still terrified of the height and wished they built the city on the ground but for right now she could deal with it. Hooked arms with the hatter and him on the outside and she on the in gave her a feeling of safety. He would never let her fall she knew that. Still she snuggled closer in to him still fearful to a degree.

Hatter continued walking noticing how Alice clutched to him and snuggled closer. She was afraid of heights still, yet she was managing. She was staying close to him because she felt he could protect her, that she was safe with him. He smiled at the thought even though he was still a little frustrated with her that she hadn't gone with Jack to a place she had deserved. It only made him want to strive to give her as much as he could as possible.

It was nightfall before the two of them returned to his place. In their time spent Alice had more knowledge, knew where more places were and that could come in handy just in case. That wasn't all of course they also had blankets in their hands, thick blankets and a pillow for her to sleep on. All of which Hatter was able to receive from others he had helped previously.

They laid the blankets and the pillow on the grass making it as comfy as possible since she had refused several times on sleeping on top of the mattress. When they were done Alice muttered softly, "It's perfect." She looked up at him in the process a piece of hair falling in her face.

Hatter pushed it behind her ear. Leaning close to her he told her, "I still say it was silly for you to refuse Jack Heart's offer." He stood and walked over to the mattress nearby where he would sleep as he had before.

Alice sat there for a moment having loved the feel of Hatter's breath on her face and missing it when it was gone. She watched him as he settled in to his own spot.

She lay down on the pillow and before she knew it she had fallen asleep, fast asleep.

--

"Gather the troops! We're heading back," Charlie wailed walking around his dead comrades. "Back home for the victory celebration of this grand fight that shall be remembered throughout the ages to come."

"Right," Jack replied watching the old man.

To Jack this knight, this white knight, had spent far too long in the woods. He needed to be out more in civilization. Of course he also knew that the man had his pride of where he resided and would never part from it.

Gathering the suits around him he gave them their orders. "Help send all the knights back to their kingdom."

"But sir…they're dead, they are all dead except for the one who's talking to himself," one of the suits replied keeping a clear eye on Charlie who was kneeling on the ground. P_raying, possibly? Wait did he just call out black arts._

Jack looked back seeing what Charlie was doing once again and sighed. He turned back to the suits, "These are my orders. Return the brave knights back to their kingdom, their home dead and…alive." He walked away from them to deal with his next problem of the large number of oysters. In the distant he heard Charlie exclaiming to the suits that he didn't need their help. That just because he looked old didn't mean it had an effect on him and he was quite blunt on that point. Jack shook his head as he continued walking up the hill. He still had respect for this off his rocker man.

--

**A/N: Review, please.**


	3. Chapter 3

There was a smell, a distinct smell, a delicious smell that made her mouth water. Opening one eye she saw the plate and though it didn't have much it was enough to satisfy her.

Sitting up instantly she grabbed the plate and scarfed the food down without a second thought. When she finished she looked up slightly ashamed at a bemused Hatter.

He crossed his arms over his chest and asked with a smile, "Guess you were hungry then?" She held her head down a blush creeping across her face. Hatter kneeled down to her level and lifted her chin with his finger. "Hey, that's not something to be ashamed about."

They stayed there like that for a moment, close to each others' faces, their lips almost touching while Alice's eyes started to drop. Only it didn't last become soon she screamed and dropped the plate when she saw what was behind Hatter.

Hatter seeing her panicked look quickly turned around while keeping her close behind him. That was when he realized who it was. Who could forget that grin? Really, you couldn't, otherwise you wouldn't know who it was.

A cat materialized around the grin slowly as Alice watched; perplexed more than ever as she saw it was Drina. But this wasn't possible, it couldn't be. Not again.

"Dinah?" she asked out loud.

Hatter turned to her. "Dinah?" he questioned her.

"My cat," she responded quickly. Then as an afterthought she added more slowly, "My dead cat."

"I don't look dead now do I dear," the cat said causing Alice to gasp and back away farther from the cat. "Then again I don't recall being _your_ cat. Possessive aren't we?" The grin increased across its face.

Hatter then explained to Alice what was happening that it wasn't Drina that it was the Cheshire Cat, who could and would take form in whatever form he chose. Including her dead cat, even if that was impersonal. **(A/N: I know that's not true, but after seeing the Cheshire Cat looking like Drina I decided to do it this way)**

"A cat, a dead cat is almost as useful they say. Rather we go the other way, wouldn't you say," the cat chanted lying on the table watching them intently. The words making no sense to Alice, but then they weren't suppose to.

"What are you doing here Cheshire?" Hatter asked him irritation in his tone.

He flipped over onto his back tsking at Hatter. "Did I interrupt something per chance? Well it no longer matters anyway for I have a secret meant for only one." He purred and stretched while Alice and Hatter exchanged a glance. "For young Miss Alice. Hatter if you may for it is out of my say."

Hatter knew the cat meant no harm that it was only fairly mad, but still it was something new to Alice something she feared at the moment. He looked at her waiting for her to say that it was okay if he left her for a few minutes. It wasn't something he wanted but as the cat had told them it wasn't exactly their say.

"It's okay," Alice told Hatter knowing why he was still here. "If I must hear what this deranged cat has to say _alone_ than I must."

"Deranged, how hurtful of a word. I'm only the messenger after all," the cat said grinning even more at them. This resulted in Alice being creep out more than before but she didn't show it. She gave Hatter a tight smile while he stood and left through the door.

Now it was her and the grinning, mad cat.

"Who is the message from?" she asked first.

The cat shook his head at her. "That I cannot tell, the identity is a secret that I shall not reveal. The message is another matter." He cocked his eyebrow at her.

Narrowing her eyes she said, "Okay, what is the message then?"

"Oh, but it is no fun to tell. For anyone can just tell. A game perhaps is more suited for this, a guessing game." The cat jumped from the desk and onto the floor in front of her the grin still on his face.

_Great, a cat who liked to play games._ This was not what she needed but it seemed she would have to play along.

"How do you play?" Alice asked.

He circled around her. "The rules are quite simple, the game is quite easy, but it is something you can become quite lost in. All you are responsible for is to guess what the message is? A simple guess is sufficient enough for the pleasant at mind."

"Guess?" Alice questioned in disbelief staring at the cat at her feet, which hadn't stopped grinning. "A simple guess? Well, okay then I guess…the looking glass is fixed." It was the first thing that popped into her head and so it was the first thing she guessed.

The cat shook his head at her. "You are a fairly poor player in the game, but whether you are a boar is not the question. So I will tell you the answer of the message. Tick the clock goes by tock the clock slows behind. Go to this place for the night of the dance and you shall now know the fate of the rest." Then the cat slowly dematerialized leaving only a grin as it disappeared out the window.

Alice repeated the message over and over in her mind. There was no answer she could think of and dance? What dance would there be here? Was the cat simply mad enough to make up a fake message like that?

It might be something she should ask Hatter. So she walked over to the door to do just that. When it was opened she could not see Hatter. She stepped out looking this way and that when he appeared around the corner a sheet in his hands.

"What is that?" she asked walking over to him.

He handed it over to her and said, "A dance."

She stared up at him almost doing a double take. "You…you dance here?" She looked down at the sheet of paper in her hands for proof.

Hatter chuckled. "Why of course what else would we do in spare time, act? What an outlandish thing to do!" She stared at the paper dumbfound not sure what to make of it. There was a clearing of a voice and she looked up at Hatter. "Would you want to go?" he asked in all seriousness.

"With you?" she questioned.

"With me, yes."

Looking at the flyer still unsure of what all this meant and far from the answer she needed she said, "Yes. Certainly." He smiled and just like that the wind came flying the paper out of her hands. With nothing else to hold onto she clutched the coat tighter around herself.

Hatter placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "Why don't we check on the others and see how they're doing, shall we?"

**A/N: Okay, I changed the Cheshire Cat character with the whole taking different forms, but otherwise he should be the same insane, grinning cat from the stories. Alright, you know the drill review.**


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